Apparatus for storing and dispensing materials at low temperatures



Sept. 4, 1962 w. HAUMANN ETAL 3,052,370

APPARATUS FOR STCRING AND DISPENSING MATERIALS AT LOW TEMPERATURES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 27, 1960 W sin NH/WR www .m mm@ WM MM WPVW B Sept. 4, 1962 w. HAUMANN ETAL 3,052,370

APPARATUS RoR sToRING AND DISRRNSING MATERIALS AT Low TEMPERATURRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1960 M, MY mad w ma A Larent lld'i Patented Sept. 4l, 1952 bas 3,052,376 APPARATUS FR Slltlltlfsl AND DEPENSENG MATERIALS AT MEW TEMPERATURES Wilfried Haumann and Remo J. llerta, Indianapolis, lud.,

assignors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed dan. 27, 1950, Eier. No. 4,945 5 Claims. (Cl. 229-47) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for storing and conveying perishable commodities at low temperatures, it relates more particularly to a portable storage system which enables an increased amount of the available container storage space to be utilized as compared with prior art apparatus.

ln the past, several difficulties have been encountered with apparatus intended to store perishable commodities, such as bovine semen and biologicals, at low temperatures for sustained periods of time. One of the important difficulties was concerned with the amount of material that could be stored in and removed from a given storage container. Since the stored material must pass through the access passage of the container, the passage dimensions generally determine the maximum size of a given storage receptacle. One storage method commonly practiced was to provide a suitable receptacle with an elongated hook extending upwardly therefrom which hook could engage the lip of the container access opening and thereby support the receptacle within the storage area. A given receptacle could thus be retrieved and reinserted by means of the hook member.

While this storage means is quite useful, it has some disadvantages. First, a maximum of about six receptacles, each having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the access passage could be accommodated. Since a storage container usually has an overall storage area diameter greater than that of its access passage, a substantial portion of the available storage space is thus not used by the receptacles when positioned therein. A second disadvantage of this prior apparatus was the heat conduction path provided by the hook members. These members provided a ready path for heat leakage to the storage area and caused substantial refrigerant loss when low temperature refrigerants, such as liquid nitrogen, were employed.

A further method disclosed by the prior art for such storage employs a Lazy Susan conveying means in conjunction with an offset access passage in the container. In this fashion, a large number of receptacles are supported on the Lazy Susan tray and sequentially rotated beneath the access passage to permit insertion or withdrawal. To conveniently store and retrieve the maximum number of receptacles in this type of containers the access passage must be quite large to provide access to several receptacles from its fixed location. This large access passage of course provides an increased heat leak to the storage container. Also, the driving mechanism used to rotate the Lazy Susan tray introduces undesirable heat leak.

It is therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an improved container for storing materials at low temperature wherein the maximum amount of available storage space is used.

lt is a further object to provide improved apparatus for inserting and retrieving materials to and from a low temperature storage container such apparatus providing minimum heat leak to the container.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FlG. l is a view in vertical cross-section of a container embodying the principles of the present invention,

FlG. 2 is a fragmentary yView on enlarged scale of the receptacle apparatus of this invention, and

FIG. 3 is a View in cross-section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. l.

While the present invention could be employed in conjunction with various types of insulated storage containers, it is most useful with portable containers having capacity of about 25 liters or less. Such containers usually will be double-walled with an evacuated insulation space between the walls. For illustrative purposes the following description will be confined to the use of the present invention in such a double-walled container.

Briefly, the invention contemplates an insulated container for storing materials at a low temperature, said container comprising an outer shell, a vessel inwardly spaced therefrom dening a central storage area, and having access means thereto, a supporting bracket disposed in said storage area for engaging a plurality of formed arms, each of said arms being pivotally associated with a receptacle whereby said receptacles, when positioned in the container will be disposed adjacent the container wall.

As shown in FlG. l, a storage vessel 10 for low ternperature materials comprises a circular inner vessel 12 and a shell la outwardly spaced therefrom to define an evacuated insulating space therebetween` rl.`he inner vessel and outer shell are preferably fabricated from aluminum or stainless steel. A cylindrical neck-tube 16, positioned substantially co-axial with the inner vessel, is leak-tightly attached to the outer shell and inner vessel at joints 1S and 2li respectively to form an access passage 22 terminating in a port to the storage compartment 24 of the inner vessel. A foot-ring 26 fixed to the outer shell 14, supports the entire container in a substantially upright position. An index-ring 28 adjacent the container top, will be described in more detail later, this ring functions to identify the contents and location of any specific storage receptacle within the container.

According to the invention and with reference to FIG. 2, each elongated storage receptacle 30 is supportably positioned on a bracket 32 within the container by a generally elongated hook shaped, arm 34 operably associated therewith. The arm 34 comprises a shank portion 36, having a linger 38 appending from one end thereof to define an open-ended loop or slot liti, the lower end of said shank is provided with coupling means 42 such as a pin joint, for being pivotally coupled to the receptacle 30. The arm 34 and receptacle 3% are so fashioned that when normally suspended and disengaged from the mounting bracket 32, said arm and joint will assume a vertical relationship. The arm 34. is formed with the shank Se and linger 38 appending therefrom substantially parallel, to define the receiving slot lll for engaging a receiving lip 44 of the bracket 32. When properly positioned in relation to bracket 32, the receptacle 30 will be displaced to a position adjacent the vessel wall, thereby keeping the center portion of the storage area directly beneath the access passage substantially unoccupied.

An embodiment of the bracket 32 with which the various receptacle arms 34 are supportably engaged is illustrated in FIG. 3. As there shown, the bracket 32 comprises a dish shaped member having a. substantially horizontal receiving lip or shelf 44, and a center opening 46 suiiiciently large to allow vertical passage therethrough of a receptacle 30 when being suspended by the arm 34. A peripheral rim 48 provides means for suitably fixing the bracket to the vessel interior wall, such means may include seam or spot welding of the rim along joint 50.

As previously mentioned, during periods of removal or insertion through the access passage 22, the arm 34, when not engaged by lip 44, assumes a substantially vertical position above the receptacles 30 and consequently requires an access passage only slightly greater in diameter than the diameter d of the receptacle itself depending on the type of coupling means employed. To facilitate lifting the receptacle, 39 for either placing upon the bracket 32 or removing it therefrom, the finger 38 is provided with an appended lifting tab 52.

When properly engaged on the bracket 32, arm 34 is both upwardly supported and horizontally positioned against lateral movement. Referring to FIG. 2, a preferred method of properly positioning the mating arm and bracket consists of engaging a forward projection 54 of the finger 38 with a mating depression 56 in the bracket 32. This depression may constitute a circumferential groove formed into the bracket or alternately, a series of equi-spaced depressions or openings in accordance with the number of receptacles to be accommodated. To further locate the respective lingers 38 the inner opening 46 of bracket 32 is provided with a flange 58 surrounding said opening, which flange may be provided With means for receiving and retaining that portion of the finger 38 engaged therewith. Suitable retaining means may constitute a plurality of equi-spaced cut-outs or slots 60 formed in to the flange S8, the number of cut-outs conforming to the maximum number of receptacles 3G which may lbe simultaneously stored in the vessel. For proper engagement, the cut-outs 60 are of a sufficient width to permit slidable insertion of the finger 38 yet minimize lateral movement thereof.

As may be noted in FIG. 2, alignment of a finger projection 54 in a mating depression 56, and seating the finger in the proper cut-out 60 results in the arm 34 being generally biased into a substantially horizontal disposition to displace the coupling means 40 outwardly from the vertical, thereby urging the receptacle 3G towards the inner vessel wall to a point radially remote from the access passage 22. It is readily seen, particularly with reference to FIG. 3, that with the receptacles so disposed it becomes a relatively simple matter to withdraw any receptacle by merely sliding the desired arm 34- and receptacle 3f) radially toward the vacant center of the vessel. ln so doing, as the linger projection 54 is moved toward opening 46 and subsequently passes `beyond the flange 5S, said arm and receptacles, by virtue of the pivotal joint 42 come into substantial vertical alignment within the access part 22. Similarly, for insertion of the receptacles in a particular location, on bracket 32, after being lowered through the access part and into the vessel, the formed ringer projection 54- is positioned outwardly of the raised flange 58 and then lowered, to be slideably guided across the substantially horizontal surface of the bracket and thence into a depression 54. While not here shown, the top portion of the sliding sur-face may be provided with suitable grooves or runners for guiding the finger projection S4 to a proper depression.

During the above noted procedures for inserting or withdrawing a receptacle, the operation may be entirely manual. Preferably though, to minimize movement of air and refrigerating gas through the vessel, and especially in the access passage, a supplementary retrieving rod or similar device may be provided to operably engage the tab 52 and thereby control movement of the arm 34 from without the container. To aid in identifying the various receptacles when stored, the circular plate 28 affixed the container top may be provided with suitable markings corresponding to the receptacles located thereunder.

The access passage 22 of the insulated container is usually substantially closed by means of a loose-fitting low heat conductive neck tube plug. This insulating member 62 indicated by dashed lines in FIG. l, may be removed whenever a receptacle is inserted or withdrawn. Said member, when properly positioned. usually extends downward beyond the bracket 32 in order to preclude inadvertent radial movement of arms 34 when the container is moved or jarred.

A container of the type illustrated in FIG. 3, having an inner vessel diameter of about 8 in. with a 1% in. dia. access passage, can readily store twenty receptacles having cross-section of 1%. in. x 1/2 in. This is almost twice the storage capacity of a similar sized container employing the prior system of six receptacles each 1% in. dia. hooked over the edge of the access passage.

Since the receptacle storage apparatus of the present invention requires no permanently mounted members communicating with either the outer shell 14 or the ambient atmosphere, heat leak in to the container interior is minimized as compared with prior art devices. A IO-liter container employing the present invention, for example, had a 20-day holding time with liquid nitrogen refrigerant which was a substantial improvement over results attained with prior art devices.

While the apparatus here disclosed has been described in detail, it will be understood that modifications and changes can be made to the above described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a thermally insulated container for holding materials to be refrigerated, having a storage space and a centrally located top access passage communicating with said storage space, said passage being of smaller transverse cross-section than the horizontal `cross-section of said space, the combination of a supporting bracket positioned in said space and rigidly fixed to the interior wall of said container, said bracket having a substantially horizontal receiving lip defining a central opening therein, said opening spaced immediately adjacent said access passage and in vertical axial alignment therewith, an ann having a substantially elongated receiving slot, detachably engaging said receiving lip, said arm comprising an engaging linger having one end appended to a shank, the finger and shank being formed to define the substantially elongated receiving slot, coupling means on said shank pivotally attached to a receptacle for containing the material to be refrigerated whereby in the engaged position on said bracket, said arm will be sufficiently biased to displace said receptacle from the portion of storage space below the access passage.

2. In a thermally insulated container for storing receptacles holding low temperature materials, said container having a storage compartment defined by a generally cylindrical wall and a top access port disposed co-axial of said cylindrical compartment, said access port being of smaller transverse cross-section than the horizontal crosssection of the cylindrical compartment, a support bracket below said access port engaging a wall of said compartment for suspendingly supporting said receptacles, said bracket comprising a substantially horizontal lip having an outer peripheral rim rigidly fixed to the interior wall of `said container and an inner edge, said inner edge defining a central opening through said lip, said opening having a diameter greater than said access port, said bracket located with respect to the storage compartment to position said opening in substantial vertical alignment with said top port and spaced slightly downward therefrom, a receptacle for suspending said low temperature material in said storage compartment, said receptacle being generally elongated and adapted to pass vertically through said aligned access port and said opening, an arm having one end thereof pivotally coupled to the upper portion of said receptacle, the other end of said arm being return curved and formed to slideably engage on said bracket lip and be supportably positioned thereon, the coupled end of said arm when in said engaged and supporting position on said lip being outwardly biased toward the wall of said compartment whereby the center portion of said compartment below said access port will be maintained free of said supported receptacles.

3. ln a 'thermally insulated container for storing receptacles holding low temperature materials, said containers having a storage compartment defined by a generally cylindrical wall, an elongated top port disposed coaxial of said compartment providing access thereto, said elongated top port being of smaller cross-section than the horizontal cross-section or said storage compartment, a support bracket iixedly positioned in said compartment, a plurality of receptacles supportably suspended from said bracket and disposed adjacent the cylindrical compartment wall, said supporting bracket comprising a substantially horizontal lip having an inner edge and an outer peripheral rim, an upstanding flange formed at said inner edge of said lip defining a central opening, said opening having a diameter suiciently large to permit vertical passage therethrough of said receptacles, said peripheral rim rigidly fixed to the wall of said compartment to position said upstanding flange in substantial vertical alignment with said access port and spaced slightly downward therefrom, said stored receptacles comprising: a portion for holding said low temperature materials and an elongated arm having an open ended slot, one end thereof pivotally coupled to the upper part of said holding portion, said open ended slotted arm adapted to slideably engage and tit over said opstanding flange and horizontal lip to be supportably positioned thereon, and on being so engaged, the coupled end of said arm being biased toward the compartment wall whereby the central portion of said compartment below said access port will be maintained free of said supported receptacles.

4. Apparatus for storing low temperature material holding receptacles which comprises: an inner Vessel having a generally cylindrical storage compartment, a shell outwardly spaced from said vessel defining an insulating space therebetween, an elongated neck tube extending from the top of said shell to said vessel, said neck tube disposed substantially coaxial with said cylindrical storage cornpartrnent providing access thereto, a bracket positioned in said compartment for supportably suspending said receptacles, said bracket comprising an annular dishshaped member including a substantially horizontal lip having inner and outer edges respectively, a rim at the outer edge of said lip, a circumferential dange at said inner edge defining a central opening through said bracket, said flange opstanding from said lip and forming a part thereof, said outer rim rigidly 'liXed to the compartment wall to position said opening in coaxial alignment with said neck tube, said low temperature material holding receptacles comprising a holding portion, an elongated arm having opposed ends in supporting relation to said holding portion, one end of said arm pivotally coupled to the upper part of said holding portion, the: other end of said arm engaging said lip and upstanding tiange and being formed so as to displace said arm from a normally vertical engaging position to a linal supporting position whereby the coupled end of said arm is disposed outwardly of said other end thereby positioning said supported receptacles adjacent the storage compartment wall..

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the upstanding circumferential tlange has vertical slots arranged around its periphery to guide the ends of the arms into a supported position on the lip and flange.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 867,008 Branch Sept. 24, 1907 1,813,190 Morin July 7, 1931 2,232,738 Seri Feb. 25, 1941 

